Matthew 9:37

Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; THEN SAITH HE UNTO HIS DISCIPLES, THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTEOUS. His eye doubtless rested immediately on the Jewish field, but this he saw widening into the vast field of "the world" (), teeming with souls having to be gathered to Him. BUT THE LABOURERS - men divinely qualified and called to gather them in - "are few;...

37._The harvest is indeed abundant _By this metaphor he intimates, that many of the people are ripe for receiving the gospel. Though the greater number afterwards rejected basely and with vile ingratitude the salvation offered to them, yet the limited number of the elect, who were mixed with unbelievers, is compared to an _abundant harvest, _because God values a small band of his own people more highly than the rest of the world. Though there were at that time many who assumed this character, yet as few of them discharged it faithfully, he does not rank them among _laborers: _for he employs the word _laborers _in a good sense. When Paul complains (2 Corinthians 2:13) of bad _laborers, _he refers to their boasting: for he would not have bestowed the designation of _laborers _(534) on those who devoted all their exertions to r

35-38 Jesus visited not only the great and wealthy cities, but the poor, obscure villages; and there he preached, there he healed. The souls of the meanest in the world are as precious to Christ, and should be so to us, as the souls of those who make the greatest figure. There were priests, Levites, and scribes, all over the land; but they were idol shepherds, Zechariah 11:17; therefore Christ had compassion on the people as sheep scattered, as men perishing for lack of knowledge. To this day vast multitudes are as sheep not having a shepherd, and we should have compassion and do all we can to help them. The multitudes desirous of spiritual instruction formed a plenteous harvest, needing many active labourers; but few deserved that character. Christ is the Lord of the harvest. Let us pray that many may be raised up and sent forth, who will labour in bringing souls to Christ. It is a sig...

Verse Matthew 9:37. _THE HARVEST_] The souls who are ready to receive the truth are very numerous; _but the labourers are few_. There are _multitudes_ of scribes, Pharisees, and priests, of _reverend_ and _right reverend_ men; but there are few that _work_. Jesus wishes for _labourers_, not _gentlemen_, who are either _idle_ drones, or _slaves_ to pleasure and sin, and _nati consumere fruges_. "Born to consume the produce of the soil." It was customary with the Jews to call their rabbins and students _reapers_; and their work of instruction, the _harvest_. So in _Idra Rabba_, s. 2. "The days are few; the creditor is urgent; the crier calls out incessantly; and the _reapers are few_." And in _Pirkey Aboth_: "The day is short, the work great, the _workmen_ idle, the reward abundant, and the

THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTEOUS ... - Another beautiful image. A waving field of golden grain invites many reapers and demands haste. By the reference to the harvest here, he meant that the multitude of people that flocked to his ministry was great. The people expected the Messiah. They were prepared to receive the gospel; but the laborers were few. He directed them, therefore, to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send forth reapers. God is the proprietor of the great harvest of the world, and he only can send people to gather it in. Remarks On Matthew 9 1. We are presented with an instance of proper perseverance in coming to Christ, Matthew 9:1. Nothing was suffered to prevent the purpose of presenting the helpless paralytic to th

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 9:1 _The_ _paralytic forgiven and healed. _Parallel passages: Mark 2:1; Luke 5:17. (For connexion of thought, cf. Matthew 8:18, note.) In the parallel passages this narrative follows our Matthew 8:1. Matthew's account is shorter, as usual. MATTHEW 9:1 AND HE ENTERED INTO A SHIP; _boat _(Revised Version). So completely did he grant the request of the Gadarenes. Obs

THEN SAITH HE UNTO HIS DISCIPLES,.... His heart being drawn out, and filled with pity to these poor people, upon observing the miserable and sad condition they were in; he turns himself to his disciples, whom he was about to call, and send forth in a more public manner to preach the Gospel, of which we read in the following chapter; and in order to quicken them to this service, and engage their hearts in it, says unto them, THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTEOUS; meaning the large number of God's elect, which were in these cities, towns, and villages, and in other places: not that these were maturely prepared by anything in themselves, or done by them, for the grace of God; and much less ripe for the kingdom of glory, and therefore called an harvest: but as there are the appointed weeks of the harvest, or a set time for the harvest to be gathered in, so there is a certain fixed time, settled in...

Matthew 9:1. _And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city._ Our Lord had given these Gergesenes an opportunity of becoming his disciples, the kingdom of God had come very near to them, but as they accounted themselves unworthy of it, and besought him to depart out of their coasts, he did not force himself upon them. Take heed, dear friends, if you do but hear the gospel once, that you do not reject it, for you may never have the opportunity of hearing it again. Matthew 9:2. _And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee._ He saw the faith of the one man who was brought to him, and also the faith of the four be

CHAPTER 9 1. A Man Sick of the Palsy Healed. (Matthew 9:1 .) 2. The Call of Matthew (Matthew 9:9 .) 3. With the Publicans and the Sinners. (Matthew 9:10 .) 4. The Question of John's Disciples. (Matthew 9:14 .) 5. The Ruler's Request.(Matthew 9:18 .) 6. The Woman Healed of an Issue of Blood. (Matthew 9:20 .) 7. The Maid Raised from the Dead. (Matthew 9:23 .) 8. The Two Bli

MATTHEW 9:36 TO MATTHEW 10:4. THE SENDING OF THE TWELVE. Jesus sees the people distressed and scattered better, mishandled and lying helpless utterly unprepared, through lack of spiritual guidance and succour, for the Advent of the Kingdom. It was the hour of opportunity, and if there were enough heralds of the Kingdom, the flock could be folded, the ripe harvest garnered (_cf._ Luke 10:2 the charge to the Seventy; John 4:35). He has already chosen twelve disciples (Mt. assumes Mark 3:14), a number corresponding to that of the tribes of Israel ...